1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an organic light emitting display and a driving method thereof, and more specifically, to a pixel of an organic light emitting display device and a driving method thereof.
2. Discussion of Related Art
An organic light emitting display device is a flat panel display device that displays an image using an organic light emitting diode which generates lights by recombination of electrons and holes. Such an organic light emitting display device has a rapid response time and may be driven with a low power consumption. A conventional organic light emitting display device allows an organic light emitting diode to emit lights by supplying an electric current, corresponding to data signals, to the organic light emitting diode using a drive transistor formed in every pixel.
FIG. 1 is a schematic view showing a conventional organic light emitting display device.
Referring to FIG. 1, the conventional organic light emitting display device includes a pixel unit (or display region) 30 including pixels 40 formed at cross regions of scan lines (S1 to Sn) and data lines (D1 to Dm); a scan driver 10 for driving the scan lines (S1 to Sn) and emission control lines (E1 to En); a data driver 20 for driving the data lines (D1 to Dm); and a timing controller 50 for controlling the scan driver 10 and the data driver 20.
The scan driver 10 generates scan signals in response to scan driving control signals (SCS) supplied from the timing controller 50, and sequentially supplies the generated scan signals to the scan lines (S1 to Sn). Also, the scan driver 10 generates emission control signals in response to the scan driving control signals (SCS), and sequentially supplies the generated emission control signals to the emission control lines (E1 to En).
The data driver 20 generates data signals in response to the data driving control signals (DCS) supplied from the timing controller 50, and supplies the generated data signals to the data lines (D1 to Dm). Here, the data driver 20 supplies data signals, corresponding to one line, to the data lines (D1 to Dm) during every horizontal period (1H).
The timing controller 50 generates data driving control signals (DCS) and scan driving control signals (SCS) to correspond to synchronizing signals supplied from an external source. The data driving control signals (DCS) generated in the timing controller 50 are supplied to the data driver 20, and the scan driving control signals (SCS) are supplied to the scan driver 10. Also, the timing controller 50 rearranges data supplied from an external source, and then supplies the rearranged data to the data driver 20.
The pixel unit (or display region) 30 receives a first power of a first power supply (ELVDD) and a second power of a second power supply (ELVSS) externally, and supplies the first power of the first power supply (ELVDD) and the second power of the second power supply (ELVSS) to each of the pixels 40. The pixels 40 receiving the first power of the first power supply (ELVDD) and the second power of the second power supply (ELVSS) control a current capacity to correspond to the data signals (i.e., the current capacity that flows from the first power supply (ELVDD) to the second power supply (ELVSS) via the organic light emitting diode (OLED)). In this case, an emission time of the pixels 40 is controlled to correspond to the emission control signals.
In the conventional organic light emitting display device driven in the manner as described above, the pixels 40 are arranged at crossings of the scan lines (S1 to Sn) and the data lines (D1 to Dm). Here, the data driver 20 includes the number m of output lines so that the data driver 20 can supply the data signals to the number m of the data lines (D1 to Dm), respectively. That is, the data driver 20 includes the same number of the output lines as that of the data lines (D1 to Dm) in the conventional organic light emitting display device. For this purpose, the data driver 20 includes a relatively large number of data driving circuits to drive the output lines, and therefore the manufacturing cost is increased. In particular, as resolution and size of the pixel unit 30 increase, the number of the output lines of the data driver 20 also increases to thereby increase the manufacturing cost of the pixel unit 30.